SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — Effective Wednesday, New Jersey restaurants are allowed to operate at full capacity, but restaurateurs are not anticipating instant return to business as usual.
Customers, however, still have to be seated six feet apart unless they’re separated by partitions so capacity remains limited at many restaurants.
“Because of the size of the dining room, the 100% capacity really doesn’t affect us much, because everybody still has to be six feet apart,” Kristine Gunning, manager of the Pop Shop in Collingswood, said.
“Pre-COVID, we had about almost 30 tables in here, and right now, we have eleven.”
Then, there’s the industry-wide headache of finding enough employees.
“We’ve been looking for servers for about three months now, because we’re expanding next door,” Gunning said.
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“The main issue isn’t the capacity at this point, the main issue is the employment,” said Nick Fifis, a partner at Ponzio’s Diner in Cherry Hill.
“A year ago, we were trying to get open. A year later, we’re trying to bring people in to work.”
Fifis said he’s been unable to fill 20 server positions.
“We lose customers because of a 35-minute wait. I have dining rooms that are empty because I can’t fill them up with servers,” he said.
“It’s a matter of giving servers more tables that they’re accustomed to, than they’re used to.”
Supply chain problems have also made his supplies more expensive, Fifis said.
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“The increase on food, the increase on paper, the increase on alcohol. There’s a shortage everywhere you look," he added.
Fifis said he sees familiar faces returning as customers get vaccinated and venture out.
“We see the business back a lot on the weekends,” he said.
“The weekends are good. Customers are coming in and they’re waiting 30 minutes as opposed to waiting ten.”
Most customers, he said, are understanding and forgiving that circumstances aren’t 100% normal.